Engine.



W. G. TIBBELS.

ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 23| 1916.

'Patented July 4, 1916.

` JNVENTDR.

WILLIAM G. TIBBELS, OF TOLEDO, OHIO.

ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 4, 1916.

Application led February 23, 1916. Serial No. 79,949.

To all whom it may concern.'

v Be it known that I, WILLIAM G. TIBBELS, a citizen of the United States, and a .resident o f Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State 0f Ohio, have invented a certain new and usefull Engine; and I do herebyI declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which is appertainsto make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to iuid expansion engines, and vparticularly to those of the internal combustion type. j

The object ofv my invention is the provision, in engines of the class described,'of an improved connection between the piston and crank-shaft, which connection 1s operable to vary the power communicated from the piston to the crank-shaft, and also to cut down the length of stroke 'of the pis.- ton when the engine is running at high speed or vunder a lightfload and effect a consequent .reduction in the fuel consumption.

The invention is fully described in the following specification, and while, in its broader aspect, it is capable of embodiment in numerous forms, a preferred embodiment thereof is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a central vertical section of' an engine of the internalcombustion type embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a crosssection on the line min Fig. 1; and Figs. 3 and 4 are perspective views of different parts of the shiftable fulcrum means for the power lever.A y

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the crank-case of an engine embodyingthe invention, said crank-case being transversely broadened and having one or more .engine cylinders 2 mounted thereon near A one side edge thereof. A piston 3 is mounted in each cylinder for reciprocatory movements therein, as is well understood in the art, and has a pitman or connecting rod 4 pivotally projecting therefrom through its inner end and into the crank-case. The

crank-case end of the connecting rod 4 is` pivoted to one end of a lever member 5,

which extends longitudinally of the crankcase and is connected at its opposite end to a respective crank of a crank-shaft 6 that 1s mounted' in the crank-case lengthwise thereof and adjacent to its edge portion opposed to that on which the cylinders 2 are mounted. The lever member' 5 slidingly projects through a fulcrum-block 7, which, has trunnions 8 projecting in axially alined relation froml opposite sides thereof and journaled in respective bearing blocks 9, which are mounted for sliding movements longitudinally of the crank-case l in respective guideways 10 provided therein. The fulcrum-block 7' is provided interiorly thereof with anti-friction rollers 11 above and below the lever 5 to facilitate a shifting of the fulcrum-block lengthwise of the lever. A rock-shaft 12 is mounted in the crank-case over the guideways 10 transversely of the lever 5 and has a control arm 13 projecting upward therefrom, in the present instance, and la rocker-arm 14 projecting downward therefrom for each trunnion 8 and having its free end longitudinally slotted and receiving the outer end of the respective trunnion.

I6 is evident that la rocking of the shaft 12 will shift the fulcrum-block 7 lengthwise of vthe lever and effect a in the power distributed to the crank-shaft fnom the down or power-,stroke of the piston. It is also evident that, inasmuch as the path of movement of the crank-shaft end of the lever 5 is constant, a shifting of the fulcrum-block to vary the length of the lever armsV will cause a variance vofthe stroke of the power arm of the lever and also of the piston, the piston stroke being shortened in proportion to the shortening of the power arm of the lever. v

It will be understood in the use of my invention that when it is desired to communicate considerable power to the crank-shaft,

as in case of starting or heavy loads, the fulcrum-block 7 is advancedv to lengthen the power arm and correspondingly shorten thecrum-block may bjc-retracted to lengthen the y load arm of the 'lever and to correspondingly shorten thepiston stroke. The shortening o theA piston stroke reduces the fuel consumption, as less fuel is drawn 1nt o the cylinder during a down stroke of the plston.

consequent change It is evident that interposing aleverage connection between the piston connectingrod 4: and the crank-shaft 6 materially increases the horse-power if the load a'rm of the lever is shorter than the power arm. It

is also evident that when the engine is running the lever 5 has reciprocatory move--I ments through the fulcrum-block, due to the shifting of the crank-shaft wrist-pin from one side to the other of its axis of revolution.

I wish it understood that my invention is not limited to any specific construction, arrangement or form of the parts, or to use in an engine having any particular number of cylinders, as it is capable of numerous modifications without departing from the spirit of the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is l. In an engine of the class described, a piston and crank-shaft in transversely offset relation, a connecting rod projecting from the piston, a lever lfmember directly connected at one end to said connecting rod and directly connected at its other end to a crank of said shaft, and a fulcrum block for said lever member, said "block permitting reciprocatory movements of the lever therethrough.

2. In an engine `of the class described, a cylinder, a crank-case extending transversely from said 'cylinder and in communication therewith, a vpiston movable in the cylinder, a crank-shaft mounted in the crank-case at one side of the cylinder, ay

WILLIAM G. TIBBELS. 

